


The Prince's Advisor

by DragonessDreams



Series: The Prince's Advisor Collection [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ardyn's still a dick, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, He doesn't trust him, He's still a sunshine boy don't worry, Ignis is skeptical though, Kinda, Multi, Niffleheim Prince Prompto, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince! Prompto, Prompto just wants a friend, and i am tired, and maybe to push his dad off a cliff, at the start anyway, so nothing new there, updates are gonna be slow because college is a soul-sucking void
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-08-03 23:54:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16335761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonessDreams/pseuds/DragonessDreams
Summary: Being captured and taken to Niffleheim was always a risk when you're as closely connected to Lucian Royalty as Ignis. He knew to expect pain and a final execution at their hands should he be taken. What he didn't expect was to be forced to work for a previously unknown Imperial Prince Prompto Aldercapt.//Apologies for the lack of updates, but I'm afraid that chapters will be few and far between (or non-existent) for another few months due to other commitments.//





	1. Captured

**Author's Note:**

> An Imperial Prince Prompto AU fic, in which the empire attacked Tenebrae, but were pushed back, Titus Drautos was revealed as a traitor early on, the Empire is greatly weakened due to constant Lucian & allied forces attacks but are still out to get Noctis. Noct, Ignis and Gladio are still going on a road trip to pick up/visit Luna in Tenebrae and bring her to Insomnia, and are still being chased by imperial drop ships that are usually led by Ardyn. (Hopefully) an everyone lives fic. Except maybe Ardyn. And Ledolas. And Besithia. And maybe some more people. I haven't decided yet.

"I have a proposition for you."  
  
Ignis lifted his gaze from the metal floor of the Magitek Carrier to glare at the man in front of him. Ardyn stood a few feet in front of him, smirking. Ignis pursed his lips, resisting the urge to jump forwards and slap that smug expression right off the Imperial Chancellor's face. Not that he could. He could barely even move, cuffed and restrained in one of the pods that normally housed MT's in the carrier. There were a more than a few empty spaces in the airship, courtesy of Ignis, Gladio and Noctis. Of course they weren't going to go down without a fight. Ignis was only glad that the Prince and his Shield had managed to get back to the Regalia and race away as he was forced to the ground by the remaining troopers.  
Gladio had been driving, if his memory served him, Noct unconscious in the back of the car after being hit hard by one of the axemen the Empire seemed so fond of. He hoped that Gladio had given him a curative as soon as they were a safe distance away.  
  
"Whatever it is, I doubt I will appreciate it, unless it is to return me to my station at Noctis' side." Ignis snarled, shifting and flexing his hands in their restraints, calling out for the magic of Noct's Armiger in the hope that he would finally, _finally_ , be able to pull his daggers out and run the Chancellor through with them. His hands stayed stubbornly empty, however, and Ardyn laughed as frustration showed through the cracks in the Advisor's usually steadfast expression.  
  
"Oh, but what if I told you that you would be in a similar position, albeit at the side of the Imperial Prince instead." Ardyn's smile was sickly as he spoke, and Ignis again twisted his fingers to reach for his weapons. "And you can stop trying to summon your weapons now; as long as you are a possession of the Empire, you will never be able to use your _darling_ Noctis' magic again."  
  
"I am _not_ a _possession_." Ignis spat, dropping all pretence of nonchalance to hiss at the man - the _man of no consequence_ he had claimed when they first met him in Hammerhead, all those weeks ago. Funny. It seemed almost like it had been months; probably had been actually, the days and weeks seeming to meld into one another as they travelled around Lucis in search of Royal Arms and anything else that could help the three of them take down the resurging Empire.   
  
Ignis blinked, his brain catching up with what the chancellor had said.  
  
_The Imperial Prince._  
  
Imperial Prince? What Prince? He'd never heard that Emperor Aldercapt had an heir.

“I can see your confusion, young Scientia.” Ignis scowled again at Ardyn's chuckle. “Imperial Prince Prompto has been a closely guarded secret for over 20 years now. You didn’t really think that the Emperor would leave the throne empty and his plans leaderless after he passed on, did you?”

Ardyn took a step forwards, reaching out – _“with a claw-like hand”_ Ignis thought to himself, trying to move away, but failing due to the confines if the pod – to take hold of the skull-charm necklace around the Advisor's neck. Ignis raised this hands in an attempt to make the other man release his grip; only to discover that he couldn’t raise his hands higher than his chest, chained as they were to the sides of the pod.

“It would be such a shame, to lose such a young, talented individual as yourself.” Ardyn's thumb swiped over the charm on Ignis' necklace. “I’m afraid you only have two options. Agree to my proposal and become the advisor for our darling Prince Prompto; _or_ -“ the word was dragged out long enough to anger Ignis further “-be tortured into giving us all the information we could want and then having a _very_ public execution. And no, I’m afraid there is no magical ‘escape unharmed’ option available here.”

Ignis gritted his teeth.

 _I need to make sure I stay alive. I_ have _to be there for Noct. If anything, being in the heart of the empire may enable me to help our spies gain more information._

He took a deep breath through his nose, letting it out slowly.

“What would my job as the Imperial Prince's Advisor entail. I doubt it will be the same as with Prince Noctis.”

His formal use of his charge’s name didn’t go unnoticed by the Chancellor; a single brow was raised in response.

“What do you think it would _entail_.” A smirk. “ It is almost the same; you will be just as much a caretaker with Prompto as you were with Noctis. You will stay in his rooms with him, look after him, teach him, and help him to grow into his role as the future ruler of Nifflheim.”

Ardyn made a considering face, one Ignis immediately took a disliking to, and tugged on the chain he still held in his hand.

“You will also be teaching him some of Lucis’ customs. We would prefer him to be well versed in them in preparation for when we take over.”

Ignis jolted as Ardyn gave a particularly hard pull on his necklace at the end of his statement, almost as if he expected Ignis to start arguing against such a proposal.

“Of course… Chancellor Izunia.”

Golden eyes flashed, although Ignis was unable to tell if it was good or bad. A grin slowly spread across the older man’s face, causing Ignis to shrink back in his pod. The necklace was pulled again, Ignis suppressing a wince as he felt the sharp edges of a loose link starting to dig into the back of his neck.

“And let me be clear on one last thing.”

Ignis gasped as Ardyn pulled hard on his necklace, the link on the back of his neck finally giving up and snapping. Ardyn held up the necklace smugly. The dim light of the carrier glinted off the silver skull charm, the speck of light smudging as Ignis felt his eyes starting to water at the sight of the necklace - the necklace that Noctis had given to him years ago - being pulled away from him.

“There will be no further affiliation with the kingdom of Lucis, or its _dear_ Prince Noctis”

Ignis stared at the ground between his feet, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears threatening to fall. A hand caught his chin and lifted it up, the face that had come close to his own causing an involuntary flinch.

“You will be given a tour of the areas of Zegnautus Keep that you are permitted to visit, although a Magitek Trooper will be programmed to follow you where-ever you go, and then you will be taken to Prince Prompto’s rooms to begin your work.”

With a final laugh, and a pat on the cheek, Ardyn turned and headed to the cockpit of the ship, pocketing the necklace as he went. The door closed behind him, the carrier lights turning off and leaving only a muted red glow from the Magitek Troopers that were his company.

Ignis lowered his head, and – for the first time in years – tears started sliding down his cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Ignis meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the second chapter is a lot longer than the first, I got carried away okay

The gun-metal walls of Zegnautus Keep had never changed in the years that Prompto had lived in it. The only places in the entire Keep in which the bleak walls were broken – he couldn’t say ‘livened' because they were nothing of the sort – up were the throne room, conference room, and his own quarters. The blandness had moved into the background of Prompto’s life in Gralea, the heart of the Empire. The wall was still good for staring at however, eyes shifting subtly to try and spot any imperfections in the solid metal wall, keeping one ear open to the conversation going on around him. In the three hours he’s been in this meeting, he hadn’t spotted any.

  
A light tap on his thigh pulled his attention away from the wall and back to the conversation around him. The slight twitch of his head was all the signal that Ardyn needed to confirm that he was paying full attention to the meeting, the Chancellor removing his hand from his thigh. _Ugh._  Prompto hated Ardyn. The Chancellor had always set him on edge, even in spite of the man’s attempts to get closer to him. Not that there were many of those attempts. He spent most of his time reminding Prompto that he had gotten him in this position, and that he could just as easily take it away again.

  
Prompto would rather not go back to the facility.

  
“- like to congratulate Chancellor Izunia on the capture of the Lucian Prince’s Advisor.” Only the knowledge that he was in full view of his ‘father’ stopped Prompto from allowing his jaw to drop.

  
_Prince Noctis’ Advisor? They caught him? Does that mean that they caught Noctis too?_

  
“Thank you, Your Grace, for the appreciation, and my apologies for not also being able to capture the Prince himself during the assault." Emporer Aldercapt inclined his head at the words. "I would also like to officially announce my offer of the Advisor in front of the entire council. Our dear Emperor already agreed when I offered in private, and so the Lucian will now be the Advisor to our own Prince Prompto.”

  
Silence.

  
A single shout was followed by a barrage of accusations and objections. Amid the din, Prompto kept his eyes trained on Ardyn, determined to find out if this was all just some big ruse. He was met with only a steely glare and a smirk before the Chancellor sat down and watched the unfolding chaos in amusement.

  
A resounding metal clang echoed across the chamber; the MT’s stationed at intervals around the room stood to attention as Emperor Aldercapt rose out of his seat at the head of the table. His hand moved in clear signal, and Prompto scrambled to stand with him. The room became deadly quiet.

  
“The matter concerning the Lucian is already decided. It is not your place, councilmen, to disagree with what I have chosen to do.” The elder man turned to Prompto, disdain clear in his eyes. “My son. The Advisor will accompany you when you come to meetings and will be aiding you the appropriate duties for your position.”

  
Prompto bowed his head. “Yes Your Grace.”

  
A sneer. “The Lucian will be allowed in certain areas of the Keep, but an MT will accompany him wheresoever he goes. I will not tolerate any unprovoked attacks on him. That will be all for today. You are dismissed until further notice.”

  
The council bowed as Ledolas left the chamber, Prompto quick to follow. A firm grip on his arm stopped him just outside the doors.

  
“I expect your new advisor will be in your rooms already. He will be staying in the spare room in your chambers unless he needs to go elsewhere in the Keep.” Golden eyes stared into his own unwaveringly. “If he becomes difficult, or tries to do anything untoward, you are to put him down.” The grip tightened. “Understood?”

  
Prompto stared back for a moment before glancing away. “Yes Chancellor Izunia.”

  
The man nodded and released his grip. His trademark smirk was back in place as he tipped the ever-present fedora. “Good day Prince Prompto.”

  
Prompto wasted no time in hurrying back to his chambers. The MTs assigned to him clanked loudly as they followed in his wake. He wondered if they ever envied him.  
Probably not.  
By the time they got to the stage that they were, they probably had no conscious thought process.

  
“Heya shortcake.” A small smile worked its way onto Prompto’s face, but disappeared as he took in the new MT stationed outside his door. Aranea turned from to face him, having finished tying a yellow band around the arm of the MT, a signal that it was on duty to escort the Lucian. Prompto was glad that it had been ordered to stay outside his quarters and not have to be in constant sight of its charge. He wouldn’t know what to do if he had to spend his spare time in the same room as what was the equivalent of his sibling. He could barely stand the fact that they followed him around wherever he went as it was.

  
“He’s a pretty one, that Lucian. I’d snap ‘im up myself if I was into younger guys.” Prompto’s cheeks immediately turned a vibrant red at Aranea’s wink. He wished that his blush didn’t stand out so much, but with his incredibly pale skin – a mix of genetics and lack of sun – the bright shade his face would turn was inevitable.

  
Aranea chuckled, reaching out and tapping the freckles that stood out all the more when he blushed. “Easy there Sunshine. He seems to be on the stern side, what with those glasses and outfit. You might wanna see about getting him a new uniform though. The council members especially won't take kindly to him walking around in the Lucian Royal colour with their Prince’s crest on it.”

  
Prompto nodded. He’d expected as much. Ardyn wouldn’t have gotten the Lucian any new clothes, just as he himself didn’t get any when he was first brought to stand in front of the Emperor. He’d have to send a message to the royal tailor, preferably via a servant until he knew more about his new advisor.

  
“What do you think of him? Apart from good looking and stern.”

  
Aranea shook her head, hand waving absently around her head. “Not much. Barely said a word the entire tour. Seemed confused by the state of your sofa and the chocobo plushie.”

  
Prompto felt his face flush once again. _Shit. I forgot I fell asleep on the sofa last night_. He opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted by a shout from the end of the corridor.

  
“Highwind!” The pair turned and looked at the small blond jogging down the corridor towards them. Loqi slowed to a stop in front of them, reaching up and raking a hand through his hair. “Ardyn and Ulldor requested that you go to the war office for immediate deployment.”

  
Aranea scowled. “Any idea where the numbskulls wanna send me?”

  
Loqi nodded, glancing at the door to Prompto’s rooms. “I overheard them saying they’re gonna send you to that base close to where they grabbed the Lucian. Aracheole Stronghold? I think? I think Prince Noctis and his shield are going to try and infiltrate it to find their friend-“ another glance at the door. “-because they obviously don’t know that he’s been brought here instead.”

  
A sigh. “Right.” The silver haired woman ruffled a hand through both their hairs. “Look after each other while I’m gone you two.”

  
And with that, the dragoon strutted away. Prompto watched her receding back until a hand slipped around his wrist. He glanced to the side. Two sets of blue eyes met briefly before he was pulled into a hug.

  
“How’re you doing, lil’ brother?” Prompto only hummed noncommittally in response and buried his face further into Loqi’s shoulder, earning a snort from the smaller, but older, blond. They split after a moment, conscious of being caught. Loqi’s hand remained on his arm a while longer, silently reassuring. Prompto flinched, suddenly noticing out of the corner of his eye that the door to his chambers had opened slightly at some point during the conversation with Aranea. He turned his head, ignoring the quiet “What’s wrong?” directed at him. A glint of light off a pair of glasses and a bright green eye met his own through the small gap – just for a second – before disappearing behind the door again.

  
“I should go.” Loqi tilted his head, eyes flicking between the door and Prompto. He nodded sharply, having noticed the open door. “We’ll talk later, yeah?”

  
The corner of Loqi’s mouth twitched up in a rare smile. “Yeah. I got some more paperwork left from my last deployment that I still need to fill out anyway.”

  
Another quick hug, an encouraging pat on the shoulder and a quiet "Good luck." and then Loqi was leaving too. Prompto put a hand on the handle of the door, taking a deep breath before pushing it open and walking in. His chambers were almost exactly as he had left them, including the duvet and pillows on the sofa. His yellow chocobo plushie, however, was currently being held by the only thing in his room that hadn’t been there when he left.

  
At least the man had the decency to look guilty about it.

  
He was obviously taller than himself – _at least 6 foot_. _Damn_. – but the spiked up hairstyle made him seem a couple of inches taller. His outfit was as sharp as his features, and suited him perfectly.

  
_Huh. Not all of it has the Lucian crest on it. I could probably get away with allowing him to keep the clothes, but I doubt wearing them around the keep is an option unless he stays in here. Which he probably will._

  
The man shifted uncomfortably and Prompto realised he was staring. He averted his gaze, shuffling nervously on his feet. The silence was nothing short of awkward as both tried to figure out what to do first. Eventually, the Lucian held out his chocobo plushie, a slight flush coming to his cheeks.

  
“Thanks.” Prompto pulled it into his chest, wrapping his arms around it and hugging it tightly. The Lucian nodded. “What’s. Um. What’s your name? Nobody told me it.”

  
The other man blinked, drawing Prompto’s gaze to the bright, peridot eyes. A pause; and then,

  
“Ignis. Ignis Scientia.”

  
Prompto smiled softly, unfolding one arm and holding his hand out. Ignis took it after a moment in a gently shake. Prompto gave his hand a gently squeeze before letting go, pleased when the gesture was returned. “It’s nice to meet you Ignis.”

  
The corners of Ignis’ eyes wrinkled slightly as a small smile crept onto his face. “It’s nice to meet you too, your Highness.”

  
Prompto shook his head quickly, earning a confused look. “You, ah, you don’t have to call me that. Just Prompto is fine while we’re alone, or with Loqi and Aranea.”

  
“Ah. I assume that they are the ones you were speaking to outside.”

  
“Yeah.” Prompto scratched at the neck of his neck. “I’m guessing you heard most if that conversation, right?” At Ignis’ nod, he added reached out and placed his hand on the Advisor's arm, ignoring how he felt the man tense up. “You don’t need to worry about Prince Noctis. Aranea won’t hurt him, she’ll have just gone to drive him away. Though she’ll probably just let him walk in and do whatever he wants. She tends to ignore orders like that. She’s the one that got me this plushie and some of my other stuff and I should probably stop rambling now huh?”

  
A low chuckle came from the Advisor, the muscles under his hand now relaxing. “I don’t mind. I’d rather rambling than...” Ignis broke off, a hand lifting to rub against the front of his neck. Prompto pulled his hand back, hugging the chocobo tighter.

  
“I’m sorry.” An eyebrow arched. “For all of this. You didn’t ask to get all this thrown at you.” He glanced at the door before leaning in close and lowering his voice to a whisper. “If I can, I’ll see if Aranea and Loqi can get in contact with your Prince or his Sheild – or maybe even the immortal or someone – and come up with a plan to get you out of here. Get you home.”

  
Ignis eyes widened in shock, the man frozen on the spot as Prompto pulled away. The feeling of those piercing eyes trained on his face caused a new rush of blood to his face, cheeks once again turning a bright hue of crimson.

  
“I, uh.” Prompto cleared his throat. “I’m just gonna clean up my mess from last night. Your room is there. Um. Feel free to look around I guess? Um. Yeah"

  
He could feel Ignis’ eyes on him as he hurried over to the sofa to grab the duvet and pillows before all but sprinting to his bedroom and closing the door behind him. Dropping the pile to the floor and leaning against the door, he took several deep breaths, willing his face to stop burning.

  
_That went well_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to come and yell at/with me on tumblr at dragoness-ffxv. I might be posting some background stuff for the fic, like relationships between characters and such, on there, in which case you will be able to find the posts by searching the tag 'the prince's advisor'


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of updates (and the absolute mess of my writing), college has been kicking my ass recently and probably will continue to do so until it's done with.

The dark metal fortress’ high walls and sharp corners was so unsuited to the peaceful world around it. Even in the oncoming dark, Aracheole Stronghold stood out like a sore thumb, lights at a blinding brightness. Gladio doubted that it would look any nicer once they trashed it. Noctis was pacing back and forth behind where he was crouched at the edge of the haven, impatience and anxiety clear on his face. Even the quietest sound from beyond the safety of the haven made him jump. Gladio couldn’t blame him.

  
It had taken them two days to get here. Two days filled with argument-filled phone calls from both their fathers, ignored orders and an atmosphere that Gladio could have cut with the dagger he was currently twiddling in his hand. Ignis’ dagger.

  
He hadn’t pulled anything from the armiger since he’d been captured. At the start Noct said that he’d felt small tugs, like the Advisor was reaching out to it, trying to call his weapons. But nothing had changed; and the feeling had stopped after a while.

  
The sound of a phone vibrating broke the tense silence. It was only a few moments before Noct answered, voice gruff with stress and lack of sleep. Whoever was talking on the other end of the phone clearly wasn’t helping any, the prince’s voice reducing to an angry hiss. Gladio tuned out after he started shouting, concentrating on searching the base for any weak points, trying to come up with a plan of attack.

  
“Cor’s coming.” Gladio turned his head subtly to the side, the dagger halting mid-twirl in his hand. “Dad said to wait until he arrives before we attack. And that we have to go back to Insomnia once the raid is over.”

  
Grunting, Gladio stood. “Great.” Cor at least would be of more use in discerning any weak points in the base. Gladio’s usual tactic of smashing his way in was of little use here, and he didn’t have many points in sneak. Stealth and strategy were always Ignis’ things after all.

  
Gladio flopped down onto the cold stone next to the unlit fire, settling with his face in his hands. Slim limbs wrapped around him from behind, Noct’s forehead coming to rest between his shoulder blades. Neither spoke, not willing to restart the argument of whose fault it was.

  
Silence reigned. The sun set all the way, surrounding them in pitch black, broken only by the lights of the base and the muted blue glow of the runes embedded in the rock of the haven. The harsh calls of daemons went ignored as the pair simply took comfort in each other’s presence.

  
It was well after dark by the time a sleek black car pulled up next to the Regalia. Gladio watched as Cor deftly evaded the daemons that popped up between the road and haven, a lithe grace to his steps. Not a single swipe of the Immortal’s sword had been made by the time he climbed up onto the haven. The car pulled away without him, turning and heading towards the outpost they’d passed earlier in the day.

  
Quiet clicks echoed as Cor walked towards them, raising a disapproving brow. Noctis twisted his head so that he could see the marshal, but otherwise didn’t move from his position.

  
“I’m certain that a chair would be comfier than the ground.”

  
Gladio shrugged. “Feel free to help yourself to one.”

  
Cor’s face remained indifferent, the older man pulling one of the chairs that had been discarded when they first arrived and seating himself near the fire. Blue light flashed, a lighter appearing in his fingers from the armiger. Small flames sprung up on dry wood as Cor ignited the small campfire; the flames flickering in the darkness of the night as the group lapsed into silence.

  
“Your fathers both want you to return to the city after tonight, whether you like it or not.” Gladio turned his head slightly to peer at Noctis out of the side of his eye as the prince hummed in response. “They also said that it was non-negotiable, even if Ignis isn’t here.”

  
Noct jerked back, forcing himself to his feet, although discomfort was written clearly across his face. Two days of being stuck in the car clearly hadn't done his back any good. Anger was clear on the young prince’s face, his teeth bared in a snarl.

  
“He has to be here! He has to be! We aren’t leaving without him!” Noct's shout was answered by the cries of daemons beyond the haven light; Gladio shifted anxiously in response to the dark calls. Cor's expression remained blank in the face of Noct’s outburst. Noctis stood for a moment longer before collapsing back down next to Gladio. The Sheild looped his arm around his charge’s shoulder, pulling him close.

  
“Whether he is here or not Your Highness. Your father’s word is final.” Noct nodded solemnly, staring blankly into the fire.  
Silence reigned over the camp for a while, Cor going to stand at the edge if the haven to inspect the base. Noctis curled further into Gladio’s side. The shield wrapped his arms around the young prince, not commenting even as his shoulders started to shake. If Ignis wasn’t here… It wasn’t worth thinking about.

  
Eventually, Cor walked back over to the fireside, collapsing heavily into the chair.  
“There’s a smaller side gate that we can use to gain access. Your Highness, you’ll need to warp in and take out the MT’s stationed there. If we stick to the shadows, we may be able to get to the prison block without any issues. We need to make sure that we stay away from those dropships on the other side of the base. They’ll undoubtedly have a small army of Magitek Troopers in there.”

  
Gladio grunted, shifting so he was sat further forwards, ignoring the grumble from Noct as he was dislodged from his position. “I’m not very good at stealth, Cor. You know that.”

  
Cor stared back, expression unchanging. “I am aware Gladiolus. That is why you’ll stay outside the prison complex and cause a distraction when we enter to ensure we do not get backed into a corner.”

  
“We should stick together.” Both Gladio and Cor turned to look at the Prince. “It’s more logical; we fight better together and it’s safer to stay together rather than split up and get overwhelmed.”

  
“Perhaps. Although you remember that it is Gladio’s job to protect you, even at the cost of his own life. It would be better if he drew attention away from us so that-“

  
“I KNOW!” Noct’s yell rang out across the haven. “I know that it’s Gladio’s job to die for me! That doesn’t mean I will actually let him be what is essentially a sacrifice!”

  
Cor raised a single brow at the outburst. His hands were clenched into fists on his knees, but Gladio could see a small spark of pride in his faded blue eyes. The marshal tipped his head forwards, “Fine. We’ll do it your way Noct. But remember, there is still a good chance that we will be spotted on our way in regardless; we need to be prepared. If either I or Gladio tell you to get out of there, then you get the hell out of there. Understood?”

  
Noct muttered an unintelligible reply, pulling out his Engine Blade in a flurry of blue sparks and checking its edge. Cor sighed, standing up and walking to the edge of the haven. Rising, Gladio made to follow the marshal, but stopped next to Noct to give him a quick kiss on top of the head.

  
“What was that for?” Hazy blue eyes blinked owlishly up at him. It would have been adorable, were it not for the black circles underneath them. Gladio smiled softly, threading his fingers through tousled black hair. Noct’s eyes closed at the feeling; Gladio smirked at the small hum the prince made.  
“You know what for.”

  
~

  
Alarms blared the moment they entered the base. Noct swore, yanking his sword from the chest of the axeman he’d skewered and warping straight into the mass of MTs swarming from the dropships stationed by the far wall. Clouds of black and purple miasma rose from the middle of the swarm, the shrieks of dying MTs soon following. Gladio hissed, surging forwards to help Noct as the MTs turned to gather around the Prince.

  
The familiar weight of his greatsword was comforting, appearing from the armiger with the usual flash of blue. Gladio yelled as he swung the sword, easily slicing through an axeman in front of him, pushing forwards until he was stood almost back-to-back with Noct. Sharp movements out of the corner of his eye told him that Cor had also joined them in the fray.

  
The MTs stood no chance. Every swing of Gladio’s greatsword cut straight through them, oil spilling onto the floor as limbs were severed. Dark shrieks echoed around them as more and more of the troopers fell, only to be immediately replace by two more, until, suddenly, Gladio’s blade cut through nothing but air.

  
The troopers seemed to be moving away, heading back towards the dropships that they had come from earlier. Noctis hissed under his breath, sword raising above his head as though he were going to warp forwards. Gladio grabbed hold of the Prince’s arm to stop him. The dropships rose into the sky, turning, and flew away. Noct pulled out of Gladio’s grip, stumbling a few steps forwards until Gladio managed to grab hold of his shoulder instead.

  
“He’s on one of those ships! He has to be!” Gladio pulled Noct closer, hugging him to his chest.

  
“No Noct, he won’t be. I would have seen them take him.”

  
The rumble of a dropship forced the pair apart. Blue light flashed as they drew their weapons. A dropship appeared high overhead, its door opening quickly to reveal a woman in red and black armour, twirling a spear at her side. Gladio glanced over at Cor, confused at the red colouration of the ship.

  
“The Dragoon Commodore Aranea Highwind! Watch out for her jumps!”

  
At Cor’s shout, the Dragoon woman launched herself out of the dropship, hurtling at a terrifying speed towards them. Noct was barely able to pull his sword up in time to deflect her attack, forcing her to jump away. She landed easily a few feet away, spinning her spear behind her.

  
“Aaww, pretty boy.” Aranea brought her spear up, getting into a fighting stance. “Let’s see what you got!”

  
Light from the armiger flashed as Noct pulled out the Bow of the Clever, quickly pointing it up to shoot at the Dragoon as she leapt into the air.

  
The following fight was short, but tough. Aranea’s speed and jumping skills made it difficult to even get close, let alone land a hit on her. At some point, Noct threw the Bow to Cor and started warping up to the Dragoon when she was at the height of her jumps to force her back down. Slowly, the tactic began to work; Aranea had to spend more and more time fighting on the ground until Noctis was able to pin her against the wall of the base, his sword at her throat.

  
“Where is he?!” The Dragoon rolled her eyes. Noctis hissed, pushing harder against her neck with the blade. “Answer the question! Where is Ignis?!”

  
“You’re not exactly the sharpest knife in the block are you?” Aranea twisted, bringing her spear out to the side and her free hand up between them; Gladio shot forwards as she stuck her elbow up under Noct’s ribcage, knocking the air out of him and pushing him backwards. She jumped up, landing easily on the wall and perching there. The Dragoon looked down at them in a mixture of sadness and amusement, her dropship hovering behind her with its door open and waiting. The rising sun glinted off her helmet as she stood up, dissipating her spear.

  
“Your advisor is in Gralea, Princeling. I’m sorry, but there’s little chance of you getting him back. Not right now, anyway.” With that comment left hanging in the air, Aranea walked onto her dropship and left. 


End file.
